Steam-engine



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I (No Model.)

I .J. W. POWERS.

STEAM ENGINE. N0. 483,014. Patented Sept. 20, 1892.

2 Sheets-Shet 2.

( Model.)

W. POWERS.

STEAM ENGINE.

Patented Sept. 20, 1892.

UNITED STATES PATEN Prion.

JAY W. POWERS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

STEAM-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 483,014, dated September 20, 1892.

Application filed April 9, 1892.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAY W. POWERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Steam-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to steam-engines, and has for its object the production of an engine of the character knownas reciprocating piston, in which, first, many of the parts heretofore deemed essential to the practical operation of engines of this character are dispensed with, thereby materially simplifying its construction and materially lessening its cost; second, the boiler-pressure upon the piston and the first expansion of the steam with in the cylinder is secured, thereby receiving the full force of the steam upon the part whereby it may best be utilized; third, both the valve and piston will receive and both will transmit the power of the steam to the crank-shaft, thereby utilizing the power at present employed in actuating the valve or valves, and, fourth, the steam will be admitted to the cylinder in such manner that the piston and valve will be balanced and their gravity overcome.

To these ends the invention consists in certain peculiaritiesin the construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts, substantially as hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the subjoined claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of the entire engine; Fig. 2, a side elevation with the balance-wheel and driving-pulley removed. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section from I to I. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section through the trunnions, and Figs. 5, 6, and 7 longitudinal vertical sections of modifiedforms of the piston and valve.

Throughout the several views the same reference letters and figures refer to the same parts.

A is the bed or frame; B, the cylinder; 0, the piston; D, the piston-rod; E, the valve; F, the valve-stem; G, the crankshaft; G,the crank, and H the eccentric.

The cylinder B, piston O, and valve E should be made of the same material, in order that Serial No. 428,503. (No model.)

their contraction and expansion due to changes in temperature will be uniform.

The bed or frame A may be of any desired form of construction, but should be of sufficient weight to break the vibrations of the working parts, thereby giving the engine stability. It is provided with the four pillowblocks 1, having the caps 2 held in place by the bolts 3. Two of these pillow-blocks are formed to provide bearings for the trunnions of the cylinder, and the other two support the crank-shaft G.

The cylinder B is provided with the heads 4, one of which is furnished with the stuffingbox 5. It is also provided midway between its opposite ends and on its opposite sides with the trunnions 6 6, having the stuffingboxes 7 7, which render steam-tight the supply and exhaust pipes 8 8 entering them. Opening into one of these trunnions 6 is the upper horizontal end of a passage 9, the remainder of said passage extending downward in a curvilinear course a quarter of a circle through the wall of the cylinder B (which is made thicker at this point for the purpose) and its inner end communicating with the interior of the cylinder through aport 9, the whole forming a supply-passage for the steam. The other trunnion 6 has the passage 10 extending through it horizontally, piercing the sidewall of the cylinder B, thus forming an exhaust-passage for the steam.

The piston O is a little more than half as long as the cylinder B and is provided upon its supply (under) side with the longitudinal groove 12, which is at all times in communication with the supply-passage 9, and upon its exhaust (upper) side with the semi-annular longitudinal groove 13, at all times in communication with the exhaust-passage 10. It is also provided with the longitudinal packings 14B 14 and with the annular packings 15 15, and finally it is provided with thecentral longitudinal chamber 16, communicating with the longitudinal groove 12 through the supply-port 17 and with the semi-annular groove 13 through the exhaust-port 18.

The piston-rod D is attached to the horizon tal cross-bar 19 of the piston O and passes out through the stuffing-box 5, where after (providing for its stroke) it is divided into two parallel bars, which extend to and are connected with the crank H by means of the strap-joints 20. Its cylindrical or single portion is pierced longitudinally to provide a passage for the valve-stem F.

The valve E is a little longer than the piston C, the purpose of which will hereinafter be seen. It is fashioned to fit within the central chamber 16 of the piston G closely and yet be movable longitudinally therein. It is provided upon its supply (under) side with the two longitudinal grooves 21 21*, extending inward from its opposite ends, their approaching (inner) ends being separated by the central wall 22, and upon its exhaust (upper) side with the longitudinal groove 23, extending nearly its entire length, but stopped off by the end walls 24 24. Its forward end is provided with a recess 25, which permits it to pass outward and beyond the horizontal cross-bar 19 of the piston C.

The valve-stem F is attached to the center of the valve E, passes out through the pierced piston-rod D, and extends to and is connected with the eccentric H by the eccentric-strap 26. It consists of two parts coupled together out side the tubular portion of the piston-rod D by means of the knuckle-joint F. It should be provided with a stuffing-box at: the outer end'of its tubular passage to render it steamtight; but I do not deem it necessary to show said stuffing-box in my drawings.

To one of the outer ends of the crank-shaft G is attached thebalance-wheel 27, andto the opposite end thereof the driving-pulley 28.

The eccentric His also rigidly attached to the crank G, between the outer divided end of the piston-rod D and in line with the valvestem F, but is adjustable thereon, its adj ustment being an important matter, as its position in relation to the throw of the crank G determines the point at which the live steam is out 01f and the distance traveled by the piston on expansion. Its proper position is about ninety degreesin lead of the crank G'- that is to say, when the crank is at its upward throw (the position shown in Fig. 2) the throw of the eccentric should be outward, and when the crank is at its downward throw (the position shown in Fig. 3) the throwof the eccentric should be inward. Thus set the crank G will revolve in the direction indicated by the arrows and the engine willrun forward; but it is obvious that the simple reversal of its position upon the crank will cause the latter to revolve in an opposite direction to that indicated and the engine will then run backward.

The operation of my engine is as follows: Steam generated in a suitable boiler is conducted to the cylinderB through the supplypipe 8, traverses the supply-passage 9 of the trunnion 6, and passing through the groove 12 and the port 17 of the piston G and the groove 21 of the valve Eenters the outer end of the cylinder B, forcing the piston O and valve E inward, the exhausted steam in the iuner end of the cylinder B meanwhile escaping through the groove 23 of the said valve E, the exhaust-port 18, and the groove 13 of the said piston O, the passage 10 of the trunnion 6, and the exhaust-pipe 8. Now through this inward stroke of the piston and valve the crank G has been carried around to its inward and the eccentric'H (thereunto attached) to its upward throw. At this position the supply-port 17 and the exhaust-port 18 are both closed by the central wall 22 andthe end walls 24 24: of the valve E, and the momentum of the balance-wheel 27 must now carry the piston and valve past their dead-center, when, through the eccentric 11 being in lead of the crank G, the valve moves outward a short distance within the piston, thereby bringing the port 17 of the pistonG and the groove 21 of the valve E into register, and at the same time opening the port 18 of the piston G by carrying the end wall 24 of the valve E outward and beyond the piston 0, thereby letting the supply-steam into the inner end of the cylinder B, which forces the piston and valve outward and at the same time allows the exhausted steam in the outer end of the cylinder B to escape through the groove 23, port 18, groove 13, passage 10, and pipe 8, as above desci'ibed.

In the modification shown' in Fig. 5 I have two ports 17 17 on the supply (under) side of the piston G as substitutes for the one port 17 and have two ducts 29 29 on the supply (under) side of the valve E as substitutes for the grooves 21.21. (Shown in Fig. 3.)

In the modification shown in Fig. 6 I have two ports 18 18 on the exhaust (upper) side of the piston as substitutes for the one port 18 and have two longitudinal grooves 30 30 on the exhaust (upper) side of the valve E as substitutes for the one groove 23. (Shown in Fig. 3.)

In the modification shown in Fig. 7 I have two ports 17 17 on the supply (under) and two other ports 18 18 on the exhaust (upper) side of the piston C as substitutes for the supply-port 17 and the exhaust-port 18 and have two ducts 29 29 on the exhaust (upper) side of the valve E as substitutes for the groove 23. (Shown in the drawings.)

From the above the advantages of my invention will readily be seen and appreciated by those familiar with steam-engines.

It will be noted that by having the valve chambered within and forming a part of the piston, both receiving and both transmitting the power of the steam to the crank-shaft, I utilize to drive the latter the power at present employed in actuating the valve or valves. It will be still further noted that as the steam is admitted through the lower side of the cylinder and always against the grooved lower side of the piston the piston and valve are balanced by its upward pressure, thus overcoming their gravity, and also that by dispensing with the guides and cross-head I simplify construction and reduce friction.

In short, an engine constructed after the plan above specified and now in use has developed a higher rate of speed and agreater percentage of power than has heretofore been deemed attainable.

Changes in the details of construction other than those above described may suggest themselves to the skilled mechanic, and therefore I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact construction herein shown and described, but reserve to myself the liberty of changing the details without departing from the spirit andintent of myinvention.

Having now described my invention, what Ibelieve to be new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, in a steam-engine,with the cylinder having inlet and outlet ports and passages and a longitudinallychambered piston-head within said cylinder having inlet and outlet ports, of alongitudinally-grooved valve operating within said piston-head and with but in advance of the same and a shaft connected both with said piston-head and valve, substantially asccdescribed, whereby both the piston-head and valve will be acted upon by the steam and both transmit motion to said shaft, as specified.

2. The combination, in a steam-engine,with the cylinder having entrance and exit ports, a tubular piston-rod, and a valve operating within the chamber in said piston-head and having its red extending through said pistonrod, of a crank-shaft, to the crank portion of which the outer end of said piston-rod is connected, and an eccentric mounted on the crank portion of said crank-shaft and having the outer end of the valve-rod connected to it, said eccentric being mounted on said crank so as to be in lead of the throw thereof, substantially as described, and for the purposes specified.

3. The combination, in an engine, with the oscillating cylinder having hollow trunnions, one of which forms the entrance and the other the exit-port for the steam, said cylinder also having passages, one leading from the entrance-port and the other to the exit-port, and its inner wall pierced to form a port leading from its entrance-passage to its interior, of a chambered piston-head operating within said cylinder and having suitable steam passages and ports, a longitudinally-grooved valve within said piston-head, and acrank-shaft connected with and operated by said piston and valve.

at. The combination, in a steam-engine,with the cylinder having inlet and outlet ports, of a longitudinally-chambered piston-head within said cylinder, said piston-head having exterior steam-passages always in communication with the inlet-port of the cylinder and also having entrance and exit ports, a longitudinallygrooved valve within said piston-head, and a shaft to which said piston-head and valve are independently connected, substantially as described, and for the purposes specified.

JAY W. POWERS. Witnesses:

CHAS. J. STooKMAN, WALTER TEMARISS. 

